Zaha Hadid Architects (UK) working with Esplan (Estonia) have been have been awarded first place in the design competition for the new terminal of the Rail Baltic railway at Ülemiste, Tallinn.
Rail Baltic is a planned 870 km electrified railway from Tallinn in
Estonia to the Lithuanian-Polish border. The terminal will be the
starting point of the Rail Baltic line connecting Tallinn, Riga and
Vilnius with the European high-speed rail network.
The Ülemiste terminal is designed as a connecting public bridge used by
the local community as well as multi-modal transport hub for commuters,
national and international rail passengers in addition to air travelers
using the adjacent Tallinn airport.
Circulation routes through the building have determined the station’s
spatial geometry to aid navigation and the smooth integration of bus,
tram and rail lines that intersect at the terminus.
Incorporating a modular structural system built in phases to enable
ongoing operations on the rail lines throughout construction, the
station has been designed and planned to BREEAM benchmarks and
guidelines.
“I have been constantly informed about the developments in the Ülemiste
area and in light of the works presented to the public today, I am more
than convinced that the area is becoming one of the most attractive and,
in terms of infrastructure, synergistic
in Tallinn. A true multi-modal transport hub is emerging, with rail,
bus and air traffic coming together there in the future,” said Taavi
Aas, Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure.
Rail Baltic Estonia announced the international design competition for
the terminal station in Ülemiste in May 2019. The competition ended on
September 3.
Source : Zaha Hadid Architects.